Harbor Freight Welder….

[HNL2LHC]

I am kind of embarrassed to ask as this is RDP and ballers would never go this route. LOL. I have project that I thought I had covered. The project is simple 45 degree support brackets for a bar counter top. Well the guy I had lined up keeps kicking the date down the road and I am over it. I don’t have the time to change to someone else who might do the same.

SO…..here I am thinking about prepping the work in Hawaii before I return to Havasu. First day I get back I run to harbor freight and pick up a mig welder. I just need to weld 3/16 or 1/4” plate to 1/8” thick 1”x2” rectangle tube. Drill a few holes and install. I was wondering anyone has used one of the fine quality machines from Harbor Freight. My last no name welder was from Eagle Hardware and served me well once every 3 years over the past 25 years. Sadly I gave it away about 4 years ago when I stopped doing so much around the house.

So has anyone had success? Am I crazy and they are crap that you can only burn through Material or bird shift welds that you can’t even grind to make it look half ways decent.

MIG 170 Professional Welder with 120/240V Input

Amazing deals on this Mig 170 Professional Welder at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

I’d be happy to buy a quality unit IF I knew that I’d used it. Sadly this just is not the time.

 

[oldman]

I am kind of embarrassed to ask as this is RDP and ballers would never go this route. LOL. I have project that I thought I had covered. The project is simple 45 degree support brackets for a bar counter top. Well the guy I had lined up keeps kicking the date down the road and I am over it. I don’t have the time to change to someone else who might do the same.

SO…..here I am thinking about prepping the work in Hawaii before I return to Havasu. First day I get back I run to harbor freight and pick up a mig welder. I just need to weld 3/16 or 1/4” plate to 1/8” thick 1”x2” rectangle tube. Drill a few holes and install. I was wondering anyone has used one of the fine quality machines from Harbor Freight. My last no name welder was from Eagle Hardware and served me well once every 3 years over the past 25 years. Sadly I gave it away about 4 years ago when I stopped doing so much around the house.

So has anyone had success? Am I crazy and they are crap that you can only burn through Material or bird shift welds that you can’t even grind to make it look half ways decent.

MIG 170 Professional Welder with 120/240V Input

Amazing deals on this Mig 170 Professional Welder at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

I’d be happy to buy a quality unit IF I knew that I’d used it. Sadly this just is not the time.

you cant lose, do it. and finish up.

 

[srttruck]

I'll just post this and get the heat later, here's a ccp titanium 125 weld on 1/8" x 3/16 on a Honda eu2000i.

 

[HNL2LHC]

I'll just post this and get the heat later, here's a ccp titanium 125 weld on 1/8" x 3/16 on a Honda eu2000i.

That would work for me. Even though I am not sure if I could lay down a bead that nice. But good to know it is possible.

 

[Ziggy]

Rent one if it's just a quick job?

 

[ChrisV]

Everlast

 

[Done-it-again]

A buddy got the titanium tig welder when traveling to shops making custom headers. He’s able to clock the tubes and run a tack vs marking them and then play puzzle piece.

It’s does some good passes and works well for the size and suprized the hell out of him.

But he would weld to long on it. It’s a hobby machine.

 

[Meaney77]

I have the same welder, and it works great for the stuff I do. Our local store has a table in the back of the store with discounted open-box previously used and returned items. I got lucky one day and grabbed mine, and was OTD for under $200. Check out the table; their are always used welders and tools, and they still have a warranty.

 

[azsunfun]

As long as use gas ARGON. chicken scrap weld with the best of welders is what you find.

 

[mjc]

I am kind of embarrassed to ask as this is RDP and ballers would never go this route. LOL. I have project that I thought I had covered. The project is simple 45 degree support brackets for a bar counter top. Well the guy I had lined up keeps kicking the date down the road and I am over it. I don’t have the time to change to someone else who might do the same.

SO…..here I am thinking about prepping the work in Hawaii before I return to Havasu. First day I get back I run to harbor freight and pick up a mig welder. I just need to weld 3/16 or 1/4” plate to 1/8” thick 1”x2” rectangle tube. Drill a few holes and install. I was wondering anyone has used one of the fine quality machines from Harbor Freight. My last no name welder was from Eagle Hardware and served me well once every 3 years over the past 25 years. Sadly I gave it away about 4 years ago when I stopped doing so much around the house.

So has anyone had success? Am I crazy and they are crap that you can only burn through Material or bird shift welds that you can’t even grind to make it look half ways decent.

MIG 170 Professional Welder with 120/240V Input

Amazing deals on this Mig 170 Professional Welder at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

I’d be happy to buy a quality unit IF I knew that I’d used it. Sadly this just is not the time.

I did all the work on my wagon with one. You can come use it if you want.

 

[SJP]

I had a HF MIG for a number of years. As long as you hook a bottle of Argon on it and use 030 wire not flux core. It will be fine. My uncle used my welder to help me build a set of conference room tables for my office. The work he did with that welder looks amazing (he has welded professionally his whole life).

 

[BHC Vic]

Everlast is much better but that will work

 

[HNL2LHC]

I did all the work on my wagon with one. You can come use it if you want.

That is a nice offer Mike. I might take you up on it. Going to be coming into town in the middle of April. Would that timing work for your schedule?

 

[HNL2LHC]

Everlast is much better but that will work

Thanks Vic. I forgot that you would know so cut with your job role. Thanks for the input.

 

[brgrcru]

It will work

 

[monkeyswrench]

The HF ones run a little "hot" amperage wise, so they can be temperamental for thin stuff I've found. For ³/¹⁶ metal they'd be fine. Just get some scrap and run a few beads with the same material before you hit the real ones.

 

[BUDMAN]

I will tell you this I have a couple of the same ones on our service trucks. The guys love them and they work great

 

[mjc]

That is a nice offer Mike. I might take you up on it. Going to be coming into town in the middle of April. Would that timing work for your schedule?

I should be in town for most of the month with 3 weekends booked already.

 

[outboard_256]

I have tried out different models of their CHICAGO ELECTRIC brand welders and they were pretty bad, compared to miller or Lincoln equivalents. I haven't treid there newer brands but have heard better things about them.

Don't they have a pretty good return policy, maybe pick one up and do several test welds to see if it meets your needs, if not return it.

 

[TimeBandit]

I've never met a weld I could not grind into paintability!

Hell, the HF 125 amp might work for such a simple job:

Or buy some brackets?

Amazon.com

Post up a sketch of what you need, maybe someone could fab them? Lots of under used shops among the peeps

 

[j21black]

I've never met a weld I could not grind into paintability!

Hell, the HF 125 amp might work for such a simple job:

Or buy some brackets?

Amazon.com

Post up a sketch of what you need, maybe someone could fab them? Lots of under used shops among the peeps

I have a Miller 255 Multimatic in my shop, but when this one was on sale cheap I bought it.

It pretty much sits and collects dust, but got it for fixing fence gates and similar things - I can run it off my little CAT Invertor genset where as the Miller I can't and wouldn't want to. Last time I used it was to fix a bracket on my mailbox after a family member backed into it. Works fine for the purpose I bought it for.

 

[HNL2LHC]

I have a Miller 255 Multimatic in my shop, but when this one was on sale cheap I bought it.

It pretty much sits and collects dust, but got it for fixing fence gates and similar things - I can run it off my little CAT Invertor genset where as the Miller I can't and wouldn't want to. Last time I used it was to fix a bracket on my mailbox after a family member backed into it. Works fine for the purpose I bought it for.

I think that I have the issue resolved without the welder route thanks to @Times Like These . I hope to one day buy a quality welder to do things right. I want to give TIG welding a try as it goes back to the old school oxy acetylene braising or welding. Just have to get a cutting table and put together a workshop for retirement.

 

[monkeyswrench]

I think that I have the issue resolved without the welder route thanks to @Times Like These . I hope to one day buy a quality welder to do things right. I want to give TIG welding a try as it goes back to the old school oxy acetylene braising or welding. Just have to get a cutting table and put together a workshop for retirement.

Tig will make you cuss like no other for a bit. That whole feed/distance/angle and heat thing...rub your belly, pat your head while hopping on one foot

 

[HNL2LHC]

Tig will make you cuss like no other for a bit. That whole feed/distance/angle and heat thing...rub your belly, pat your head while hopping on one foot

Don’[t need to worry about the patting belly part. I am sure my fat gut will be up against the welding table. Challenge accepted.

 

[4Waters]

Harbor Freight welders work great

 

[outboard_256]

I think that I have the issue resolved without the welder route thanks to @Times Like These . I hope to one day buy a quality welder to do things right. I want to give TIG welding a try as it goes back to the old school oxy acetylene braising or welding. Just have to get a cutting table and put together a workshop for retirement.

When the time comes check out the multiproccess welders. I have my act/oxy welder, and then I have my mig with bottles for steel and alum and I want a tig but don't have room. My next step is to sell everything and get a good multiprocess welder that does mig, stick, and tig. It will take up less space than what I currently have and do more. But the miller one I want isn't cheap. I want to upgrade to a fixture table at the same time to utilize the TIG so that is also why I haven't pulled the trigger.

 

[Mandelon]

I bought the HF Titanium Multiprocess 200. The duty cycle is a bit short, but I'm just making little stuff, fixing fence posts and brackets. It works fine for me. It paid for itself very quickly.

 

[monkeyswrench]

When the time comes check out the multiproccess welders. I have my act/oxy welder, and then I have my mig with bottles for steel and alum and I want a tig but don't have room. My next step is to sell everything and get a good multiprocess welder that does mig, stick, and tig. It will take up less space than what I currently have and do more. But the miller one I want isn't cheap. I want to upgrade to a fixture table at the same time to utilize the TIG so that is also why I haven't pulled the trigger.

It's funny you mention the room for a Tig machine. My first one was a P&H that still had the AeroJet inventory tag. It had some weird high frequency conversion on the side, and a Miller cooler from the 70's on top. The castors under it's cart were 6x2" steel. It was a great machine, flipping the massive bakelite power switch started up things like Grandpa Munster's workshop.
Now I have a Dynasty 200. It's a bit older, got it used from a guy who bought it to learn on. No cooler, so big aluminum projects kind of suck, but it has all kinds of settings that make it easier! It also is tiny, no bigger than a suitcase welder. It can run on 110v for light duty things as well. I've actually thrown it and a bottle in the car to weld up a pontoon at the river. That was pretty cool.